


Genesis

by ventusphoenix



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Slice of Life, Tokyo Game Show, based on Shining Live's The Mysterious Remains set
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 13:02:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17683982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ventusphoenix/pseuds/ventusphoenix
Summary: Trapped in a video game with no immediate way out, Ranmaru and Ren spend their days hunting monsters, building up their skills and passing by the days with their guild. One hunting session sees them meeting a new player struggling to survive in the game, whom they invite to join them. But when they refuse the offer on the grounds of being of no help to them, Ranmaru follows after them, convinced of something else at play.





	Genesis

**Author's Note:**

> It's out! I had the pleasure of being part of the Utapri FlashBang ([Tumblr](utapriflashbang.tumblr.com) \- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/UtapriFlashBang)). It was a bit stressful having to finish a fic in the month-long period we were given, but it was also a chance for me to write something that's been bouncing around in my head for the past couple months since Tokyo Game Show happened and The Mysterious Remains set was released on Utapri Shining Live.
> 
> I had the honour of being paired with Abby and having her draw for my fic! The link to the artwork is [here](https://twitter.com/newroyaloceans/status/1093531682253258759), or you can find it at the bottom of the fic. Abby is on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/newroyaloceans) and [Tumblr](http://newroyaloceans.tumblr.com/) \- please be sure to check out her works!
> 
> Hope you enjoy the fic!

A growl resounded from the pack of wolves before them, their teeth bared and bodies crouched down low waiting to strike. One of the wolves pawed at the ground, ears flat on the back of its head. Ranmaru was familiar with these wolf packs, having defeated many of them in the past. Now, at his current level, he knew he would be able to finish them off easily. But he also knew that because they were only low-level monsters, they wouldn't drop anything of value.

Then again, he had been itching to beat something up, so for that these monsters would do just fine. He balled his hand into a fist, rolling his shoulder and readying his stance. Ren shook his head beside him, holding out his arm as a lance materialised in his hand.

"After you, Ran-chan," he mused, and Ranmaru smiled as he rushed forth.

The alpha of the pack bounded forward, spurred by Ranmaru's sudden movement. The rest of the wolves were close behind, teeth and claws bared. Ranmaru pulled back his arm before unleashing a punch, his fist coming into contact with the alpha wolf. The force sent it sprawling backwards into one of the other wolves, stunning the both of them. Ranmaru sidestepped the charge of the next wolf easily, allowing it to run right into Ren's waiting lance where it howled and dissolved into a shower of sparks.

Ranmaru delivered an uppercut to another wolf and followed up with a punch to its stomach, watching it twitch on the ground before similarly disappearing. The two wolves from earlier shook themselves off, getting to their feet and stared down Ranmaru with a deep growl. He smirked as Ren sidled up to him, humming aloud.

"Shall I take the one on the left?" he asked with a smile.

"No need," Ranmaru grunted, already flexing his arm and preparing for another fight. "I can take 'em on my own."

"I had a feeling you would say that."

Ranmaru charged forward, eyes trained on the smaller of the two wolves. It bounded ahead of the alpha wolf and tackled Ranmaru to the ground, pinning him underneath its weight. It snapped its jaws, aiming for Ranmaru's head. He threw an arm up in defense, wincing as the wolf's teeth sunk into his skin. With Ranmaru in its hold it clenched its jaws tighter, letting out another fierce growl. If he didn't act soon, he thought, he would find himself in a tight situation. He had no doubt that Ren would come to his aid if it came to that, but it would be embarrassing especially after he had insisted on working alone.

Ranmaru grunted, using all of his strength to roll them over until the wolf was on its back. The wolf whimpered and Ranmaru smirked, knowing that it was trapped as long as it maintained its hold on him. Winding up his free hand, he landed a solid punch to the wolf's head. The sound of its howls filled the air before its jaws went limp, freeing Ranmaru's arm as it disappeared into sparks. Ranmaru quickly whirled around, not missing a beat as he swept his leg out, flipping the alpha wolf onto its back.

Taking advantage of the brief stun, he began to channel energy into his right fist. It glowed brightly, growing warmer as small embers flickered around his hand. The alpha wolf got to its feet, howling and charging towards Ranmaru. He smiled, letting the embers come to life and coat his hand before releasing them in a forward punch. The resulting flames flared outward in a tornado of fire, engulfing the alpha wolf in smoke and ash. Ranmaru huffed as the battle came to an end and the results appeared in his interface.

"Was that last attack really necessary, Ran-chan?" Ren remarked as he made his way to Ranmaru's side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Skills grow more powerful the more you use 'em," he shrugged, closing the results screen and turning to Ren.

"As long as you don't overdo it," he smiled. "You want to save some of that for the harder enemies we'll be facing."

"Yeah, let's get movin' then," Ranmaru grunted, brushing Ren's hand from his shoulder and opening his navigational map. The dungeon they were exploring this time was still a way off, and given the number of random encounters they would face along the way, it would be hard to arrive with full strength. Fleeing from encounters was an option, but Ranmaru wasn't one to run from a fight.

Upon analysing the navigational map, he cocked his head at a sight in the distance. There was a player icon, differently coloured to Ren's since they were in the same party. But it was the number of enemy icons surrounding them that had caught Ranmaru's attention. He looked to Ren, who appeared to have noticed the scene as well. After a brief nod, they began running towards the source.

As they neared the site, Ranmaru could see it was another wolf pack but larger in size, about twice that of the one they had fought earlier. But in the middle of the pack was another player, surrounded by the wolves on all sides. They had bright aquamarine hair, one side pulled back into a ponytail while the other side hung loosely over their shoulder. With the way they were on their knees and the lack of a weapon in sight, it was easy to see the player was outnumbered.

Ranmaru wasted no time in running over to them, Ren close behind as he called his lance to his side. Breaking into a run, he built up speed and jumped, flinging himself into the air with his lance outstretched. Aiming for the middle of the wolf pack, he timed his landing with a slam of his lance in the ground, the earth rumbling with the impact. The wolves froze in their movements, trying to keep their footing. Sweeping his lance in a wide arc, Ren managed to put some distance between himself and the wolves. Ranmaru used a flaming punch to knock out several of them, while Ren followed up with a multi-hit attack to take out the remaining wolves and bring an end to the fight.

"So much for not overdoin' it," Ranmaru scoffed, causing Ren to laugh and shrug his shoulders.

"At least I didn't waste it on a single enemy," he fired back.

Ranmaru waved him off, turning around and crouching down beside the other player. They looked exhausted, from the way their body was shaking and their laboured breathing.

"Hey, you okay?" Ranmaru asked, hands hovering close to them.

The other player raised their head to look at Ranmaru, revealing a pair of eyes that matched the colour of their hair. They tried to open their mouth to say something, but then they gave into the exhaustion and collapsed with a thud.

"Oi!" Ranmaru cried, grabbing them around the shoulders. Looking at them properly, claw marks and bites marred their arms and legs, their clothing in tatters from the fight. Ranmaru wasn't sure how long they had been fighting on their own, but it was obvious now that their health was dangerously low.

"Invite them into the party," Ren instructed. "I have potions, but I can only use them on other party members."

Ranmaru did as he was told, opening his interface and navigating to the appropriate tab. With a few more button presses, the invite was sent to the other player.

"Hey, hang in there," he said softly, shaking the player awake. Their eyes fluttered open, bleary before they focused on Ranmaru's figure. They stared at Ranmaru confused, but he simply extended his arm, hand outstretched towards them.

"Let us help you," he urged with his palm held out.

Their eyes flickered between Ranmaru and Ren standing behind him, who nodded with a kind smile. They looked back at Ranmaru's hand, hesitant to accept it. But at his urging they took his hand, clasping onto it tightly as if they had been waiting for it for a long time.

* * *

The player's name was Ai, and he had been travelling with another player when they had gotten separated. That was how Ranmaru and Ren had come across him, and how he now found himself taking refuge in their guild. He would be safe while he recovered, and it gave them the chance to talk properly now that everyone was fully rested.

"I'm sorry to have caused trouble for you," Ai murmured, sitting at the table in the common room.

"Don't apologise, we were happy to be of help," Ren shook his head, placing a mug of tea in front of him. Ai took the offered drink with a small nod, sipping quietly.

"We couldn't 'ave just left you there," Ranmaru said.

Ai didn't say anything more and continued to sip on his tea. Every now and then, his eyes would wander around the interior of the common room. Ranmaru remembered that on the way from the dorms, he had also caught him admiring some of the other rooms that they had passed by on their way here.

"Have you ever been part of a guild before?" he asked, noting his curiosity.

Ai blinked, shaking his head. He fiddled with his hands in his lap, looking down at his mug.

"Do you want to join us?" Ren piped up from where he was sitting across from Ranmaru.

"We'd have to get the guild leader's approval but 'm sure he'd be more than happy t'have ya, and we could travel as a party," Ranmaru said in agreement, nodding towards Ren. "We'll make sure you don't run into any more trouble."

Ai looked pleased to hear the news, but then his eyes became downcast once more and he shook his head.

"No, I've caused enough trouble for you already," he mumbled. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I must be on my way."

He stood up, leaving his mug of tea unfinished and headed for the exit. Ranmaru and Ren stood by, sharing a look with one another as they watched him leave. Ranmaru quickly got up and followed Ai out, finding him a few metres from the guild entrance. He turned around upon hearing Ranmaru's steps and hugged his arms around himself.

"Oi Ai, wait up!"

"You don't have to follow me, Ranmaru," he said firmly, the coldness of his words startling him.

"Don't tell me you're planning on goin' out there by yourself," he answered with a frown. "The hell are you thinking? There's no way you would survive on your own."

"I know that!" Ai exclaimed.

Ranmaru flinched, struck by the sudden outburst. He noticed the way Ai's fingers were gripped tightly on his arms and took a step back, wanting to give him some space.

"Ai," Ranmaru began, his voice quiet. "When we found you, you didn't have a weapon. Why is that?"

Ai looked away, and Ranmaru thought he was avoiding the question. He was about to ask again when Ai unfurled his arms, holding out his palm where a wooden flute appeared in his hands. It was beautifully crafted, Ranmaru noted to himself before Ai spoke.

"This is my weapon," he said quietly, surprising Ranmaru. He had never heard of a player fighting with a flute before, and if it was his weapon, he wondered why he hadn't seen it on his person when they first found him.

"Actually, my weapon is music," he continued. "But I can't fight with it yet."

"What do you mean, 'yet'?" Ranmaru asked.

"Those who fight with music start with no offensive skills," Ai began to explain. "So we rely on other players to help us through the early game. But no one wants a player who can't pull their weight."

Ranmaru nodded as he listened to what Ai was telling to him. It explained why they had found him injured, unable to defend himself against the wolves. But he sensed that there was something else Ai was hiding.

"You know that you won't be able to fight back if you run into an encounter, " he said with a frown. "In spite of that, you're still going."

Ai didn't answer straight away, voice falling quiet again. Ranmaru narrowed his eyes, stepping towards him.

"Ai?"

"Curious, aren't you?" Ai said coolly. "You're wondering why you haven't met another player like me until now, even though you've been trapped in the game all this time."

It was true that Ranmaru had met many different players during his playtime, some of them friendly while others weren't so pleasant. And Ai was right, this was the first time he was meeting someone who used music as a weapon.

"No one wants a player who can't pull their weight," he repeated quietly. "So they abandoned us, leaving us to fend for ourselves. In this game now – where everyone is fighting for survival – no one is going to waste their time with a player who can't even fight."

Ranmaru growled, furious at what he was hearing. He refused to believe that there were players who didn't want to associate with Ai because of his inability to fight, but deep down he knew that there was truth to what he was saying. When every action was the difference between life and death, it was easier to protect oneself than worry over the safety of a party.

"If you think 'm gonna leave you on your own t'die, you don't know me," Ranmaru said angrily.

"You're right, I don't know you," Ai answered, putting away his flute and turning his back to Ranmaru. "That's why I can't ask you to come with me."

"Y'don't have to ask us, we're coming along anyway."

"'We'?"

"I'm coming too," Ren spoke up from where he had been standing near the guild entrance.

"You're going out t'find your friend, aren't you?" Ranmaru said, coming to stand beside Ai.

"Well yes, but—"

"We'll help you find them," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What you do after that is up to you. We just don't want you traveling on your own."

Ai looked at Ranmaru, turning to his other side when Ren also put his hand on his shoulder, winking at him. Ai looked down at his feet, mumbling his quiet thanks. Ranmaru squeezed his shoulder and grinned, opening his navigational map.

"Alright, so where do we start lookin'?" he asked.

"The Mist Caves," Ai said. "My friend mentioned the name a couple times when we were together, and we were going to explore it before we got separated."

On Ranmaru's map he pointed to a mountain ridge, its peak hidden by swirls of white fog. It was close to where they had first found Ai, and Ren whistled aloud when he saw where Ai was pointing.

"Oh my, that's where we were headed," he hummed. "Looks like this little arrangement will do us just fine."

Ai's eyes lit up before he looked down at his feet, and he began wringing his hands together. Ranmaru laughed, throwing an arm around Ai's neck. Ai squeaked at the contact, tensing up before he looked at him.

"Looking forward to workin' with ya," he smiled at Ai, releasing his hold and ruffling his hair. Ai pouted, quickly scrambling to tidy his hair and swatting Ranmaru's hand away. He paused then, Ranmaru's hand still resting on his head when he spoke up.

"You said… you want to work 'with' me," he began, peering up at him. "But I already told you, I can't fight. I'll only be in your way…"

"Everyone has to start somewhere," Ren said gently.

"You only _think_ you can't do anything 'cause that's what you've been told," Ranmaru said, a slight edge to his voice thinking of those players who had chosen to abandon Ai in the past. "But 'm tellin' you now, that's all up here."

Moving his hand from the top of Ai's head, he pointed a finger at Ai's forehead, poking with just enough pressure to topple his balance. Ai wobbled before regaining his footing, looking up at Ranmaru with a slight frown. But then Ranmaru balled his hand into a fist and held it out towards Ai, pressing it to his heart.

"I think… no, I _know_ you're capable of so much more," he continued on. "You just don't know it yet."

When he removed his hand, Ai looked down and placed his own hand over where Ranmaru's had been. He closed his eyes as if feeling its warmth, breathing in deeply.

"You're gonna go far in this game," Ranmaru grinned. "And when that happens, those guys'll be sorry they ever abandoned ya."

"Someone's fired up," Ren chuckled, setting a marker on his navigational map for the Mist Caves. "Shall we get going?"

Ranmaru looked at Ai, punching him playfully in the shoulder. He smiled in reassurance before he walked forward to join Ren, exchanging some words with him about the new area. They were in the middle of discussing the exploration when they both felt a tug on their sleeve. They turned to see Ai gripping onto their sleeves, taking small breaths to compose himself before he raised his head.

"I-I'm looking forward to working with you as well," he murmured, looking them squarely in the eyes. "Let's all do our best together."

"The pleasure is ours," Ren winked once more. "We'll be counting on you, Ai."

He nodded eagerly, prompting Ranmaru to laugh and ruffle Ai's hair again. They set out on the road together, anticipating the new adventure that would unfurl before them.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first of my two FlashBang fics. Keep your eyes peeled tomorrow for my second one. :)


End file.
